Putin Summons 'Civil War History' in Armed Rebellion: "Back in 1917, We Had Knives in Our Backs Too"

Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, who faced the biggest crisis in his reign due to the armed rebellion by the Wagner Group, summoned the history of Russia's civil war by stating, "Back in 1917, we faced similar attacks in Russia."

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 24th (local time), during his emergency national address lasting over five minutes, Putin mentioned the century-old Russian civil war. While Putin often refers to World War II as the "Great Patriotic War," in this speech, he emphasized the period from 1917 to 1923, highlighting the crisis.

During the speech, Putin described the Wagner Group's armed rebellion as a "stab in the back" and "treason." According to the Russian state-owned TASS news agency, Putin emphasized that "even in 1917, when Russia was engaged in the First World War, we faced such attacks" and blamed them for stealing victory from Russia.

Furthermore, he stated, "Conspiracies, secret plots, and betrayal behind the army and the people led to tremendous turmoil, disintegration of the nation, the loss of vast territories, and ultimately resulted in a tragic civil war," adding, "We will not allow such events to happen again."

The year 1917, mentioned by Putin, is known as a period of major upheaval in modern Russian history. In the midst of World War I in 1917, Russia exploded with oppression, poverty, and war-weariness, leading to the February Revolution and the collapse of the Romanov dynasty that had lasted for 300 years.

Subsequently, the Russian Republic was established, and Lavr Kornilov marched his troops to the then-Russian capital, St. Petersburg, attempting a coup against the interim government led by moderate socialists.

However, Kornilov's forces disintegrated before reaching the capital, and his coup attempt weakened the moderate factions in Russia, ultimately paving the way for the Bolsheviks (the precursor to the Russian and Soviet Communist Party) led by Lenin to seize power.

From then until 1923, Russia experienced an ongoing civil war between the Bolshevik Red Army and anti-revolutionary forces known as the White Army.

By referencing 1917 in relation to the mercenary rebellion, Putin emphasized the internal divisions within the Russian military during the period of World War I, which ultimately led to a civil war. He sought to demand unity among the Russian people. Putin's current crisis, caused by the recent armed rebellion, is being evaluated as the most significant challenge of his political career.

According to the NYT, Putin's mention of the armed rebellion led by Prigozhin is seen as a reflection of his achievements in saving Russia from severe turmoil since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.